Ma Maoguan's men broke through the Golden Lock Pass, took out their family members, and fled northward.
He made a big deal out of his small calculations and robbed the official bank. Liu Chengzong made the matter so big that he did not dare to stay in Yan'an with the Lion Camp.
So after taking the silver, he said he was going to Qingyang Mansion.
Liu Chengzong was also worried about food, and was happy to see others separated from him. Anyway, Ma Maoguan had thousands of family members, and the Lion Camp could not afford to feed them.
Unexpectedly, Ma Maoguan was forced to come back just one day after he left for Qingyang.
"General Liu, Li, and Li Laochai failed to capture Heshui, so Guyuan will send He Huchen to conquer it."
"He Huchen, He Huchen is here too?"
Liu Chengzong had just arrived in Yanchuan to pick up his children who had left money, and suddenly heard the news. He pondered He Huchen's name and felt something was wrong.
The taste of northern Shaanxi is wrong.
Liu Chengzong knew He Huchen. When he and his brother first joined the army, the chief soldier of Yansui Town was Yang Zhaoji, who had pacified the White Lotus Sect in Shandong. He Huchen was the deputy chief soldier of Yansui Town.
He left the army last year, and He Huchen was promoted to the chief military officer of Ningxia for his meritorious service in pursuing Zhou Dawang, a deserter who raised troops in Wudu.
This is Yan'an Prefecture, the Ningxia General Soldier that Yansui Town is very familiar with.
There are two main official roads in Yan'an Prefecture, one is from Heshui County in Qingyang Prefecture heading east to Zhiluo Town in Yanzhou; the other is from Yanchuan heading north through Suidezhou to Yulin City.
Now Li Laojiao is besieging Heshui County in the west. After receiving the news that He Huchen is about to conquer, Li Laojiao retreats eastward, and He Huchen will lead his troops to Yan'an Prefecture.
Du Wenhuan in the north stationed troops in Suidezhou.
There are only two official ways in Yan'an Prefecture.
Liu Chengzong was very familiar with this situation. It was almost exactly the same as last year, except that the general Li Bei was replaced by the chief military officer Du Wenhuan; the guerrilla general Wu Weifan was replaced by the Ningxia chief military officer He Huchen.
"What the hell!"
Cao Yao was so anxious that he was spinning around, scratching his head and saying: "I still want to go back to Black Dragon Mountain to stay for a few days. If I don't come sooner or later, I will come now!"
"Go back, come back quickly, come back tonight." Liu Chengzong called Fan Sanlang to fetch the horse, and said to Cao Yao: "We will go back immediately, and let me and my brother quietly retreat from Zhuantianmao and Xingzi River into Shishi Bay of Yunyan River.
”
Cao Yao was stunned: "What do you mean, you think Yan'an City is unsafe?"
"I don't know, but the government is not stupid. There must be capable people who know that there is a problem in Yan'an City."
Liu Chengzong shook his head. It has been a year since Yan'an Fucheng was separated from the imperial control. A few days ago, Zhang Yunden left the silver transport team, and he felt that the government already knew that there was a problem in Yan'an Fucheng.
No matter what Zhang Yundeng's guess is, he definitely believes that Yan'an Fucheng is inseparable from Liu Shishi.
Of course, Liu Chengzong never dreamed that Zhang Yundeng believed that the prefect Zhang Nian supported the bandits and respected himself.
Fan Sanlang brought the red flag, and Liu Chengzong and Cao Yao immediately rushed to Fucheng. They met with their father and Mr. Yang that night, stated the information they had learned, and asked them to quietly move to Lion Bay under the leadership of the servant.
To be honest, the two of them were a little reluctant to part with it, but they also knew that once the officers and soldiers became suspicious, they would not be able to defend Yan'an Mansion.
Not to mention that Liu Chengzu's elite troops followed Yang Yanchang to Qinwang, even if they didn't go, the Liu family's two battalions would not be able to deal with the two general officers in Yan'an City, which is connected in all directions.
That night, from Xingzi River to Zhuantianmao, the whole place was undergoing a great migration. Important people were taken out of their homes and moved along the mountain road to Shizi Bay in Laoshan Mountain.
Since the money and grain could not be carried by carts on the mountain roads, Liu Chengzong took them and transported them to the east along the highway.
There was still some money and food that was difficult to carry with us, so we simply mobilized the Yan'an Guards.
On the other side of the Xingzi River, Ren Quan'er from Saimen Qianhu was dragged into Saimen Qianhu Office.
For those near Fucheng, let Shi Wanzhong, Chen Ruji, and Lu Bin pull them into the Yan'an Guard.
The Yan'an Guard's Nanguan siege dug holes overnight and buried the 1,500-pound iron red barbarian cannon underground.
Mr. Liu sent people to various villages to convey the news that this year's summer grain should be delayed as far as possible.
An unprecedented retreat.
But they are not worried about whether they will come back in the future. This is not determined by worry.
It is decided by victory or defeat.
If they win or the army withdraws, Yan'an Mansion will return to its former state, and Yan'an Guards and Saimen Qianhu Station will still obey the orders of the Liu family.
If they lose or the government and troops are permanently stationed in Yan'an Prefecture, then everyone is naturally a member of the government and can do whatever the court asks.
There was an undercurrent surging throughout the night. As the saying goes, the spring river is warm and the duck is a prophet. The first person to notice that things have changed was none other than Zhang Nian, the prefect of Yan'an.
The next day, Zhang Nian walked out of the magistrate's mansion behind the government office to go to work as usual, and found that his cronies all had dark circles under their eyes, and each one was stuffed and the other was haggard.
Then in the next two days, the most common thing Zhang Nian heard people mention to him was asking him when the salary owed by the court would be paid.
Very strange.
Zhang Nian has always been proud of the fact that all the officials in the city are made of iron.
Being in arrears of salary is nothing to worry about. Last winter, Fucheng collected 70 taels of taxes. He withheld 50 taels of salary as salary and distributed it to everyone. He only paid less than a quarter of the salary. The officials were still very excited.
.
What happened this year?
Zhang Nian felt that everyone seemed a little slack.
Later, he heard someone say that the grain shops in the city were closed.
But when he received the news, he didn't know what it meant.
"General, Mr. Li has sent someone here."
At the Yanchuan camp, Han Shipan came to report, and Ma Maoguan came with Li Laoji's men.
The little leader of the bandits looked very tired. He went into the camp to rest for a while, but he still couldn't stop breathing heavily. He stepped forward and bowed down and said: "General Liu, this villain is a tiger under Li Laojiao. We have to follow him.
Shui retreated, and the leader sent me to ask for help. I know that the general has elite men, and I hope to be able to support him in Zhiluo Town."
"Acceptance?"
Liu Chengzong looked back at the map. It was only 200 miles from Heshui County through Ziwu Ridge to Zhiluo Town in Yanzhou.
It is more than four hundred miles from Yanchuan to Zhiluo Town.
Seeing him deep in thought, Zhuanshanhu said: "The leader is willing to pay three thousand dan of grain and ask the general to send troops."
Three thousand stones of grain was not a small amount, but Liu Chengzong still shook his head. He pointed at the map and said: "My soldiers are setting off now. If they gallop two hundred miles, they can only reach Yichuan. You can run two hundred miles and reach Zhiluo."
Town."
In the past, the Lion Battalion was not there to respond, but was as tired as a dead dog, stretching its neck and waiting for He Huchen to kill him.
Zhuanshanhu quickly shook his head and said: "If you are not a general, He Huchen is not in a hurry to pursue us. Our grain team is in front and the soldiers are behind, so he can only hang far away. We will not arrive at Zhiluo Town until five days later." p>
"Hanging far behind?"
Zhuan Shanhu explained: "The Ziwuling mountain road is narrow, and his troops and horses cannot spread out, so they just hang behind. There is Zhangjiawan in the middle, where they can spread out their troops. The leader planned to block them there for a while, but he escaped to
Zhiluo Town, we have no strength."
"How many people are there in He Huchen?"
The tiger in the mountain said: "There are more than a thousand horsemen."
Liu Chengzong didn’t believe it.
It is not surprising and reasonable for the commander-in-chief to lead thousands of cavalry into battle.
But it is unreasonable to lead thousands of horses into Yan'an.
The purpose of coming to Yan'an Prefecture is to deal with him, Liu Shishi, and to deal with Liu Shishi, he only needs more than a thousand cavalry. This is wrong.
Unless Yang He was in a hurry and He Huchen only led a thousand cavalry to go out first, then it would be easy to understand why he slowed down in pursuit of Li Laojiao.
It is likely that he is gathering troops.
Or maybe He Huchen didn’t come here for him?
It is possible, but Liu Chengzong cannot believe it.
They marched in large groups for four days. Even if they took the official road to Zhiluo Town, they would still be tired.
Liu Chengzong knew something about Li Lao Jackal's military strength. Ma Maoguan told him that when Li Lao Jackal went to Heshui County, there were three thousand people.
"Where are you going?"
Seeing that he still didn't agree, Zhuanshanhu looked a little discouraged. He sighed and raised his head again and said: "Yichuan Panshan, we have a camp there. If we are really unbeatable, we will retreat from Hukou and enter Shanxi."
Liu Chengzong's eyes lit up. Only then did he really make up his mind and plan to help Li Laojial.
If Li Laojiao's plan is to find a place to defend, then he won't help.
But knowing that he had a way out, Liu Chengzong felt that Li Laojie's mind was not bad, at least he wouldn't hold him back.
Although...it's actually not that appropriate to talk about entering Shanxi at this time.
Houjin has completely withdrawn from the Gyeonggi area, and King Qin's army is coming back soon, with Shanxi bearing the brunt.
"Go back and tell Old Jackal Li that the Lion Camp will help you, but they may not be able to reach Zhiluo Town on time. If you can't make it, don't fight there, and block them a little to prevent them from taking off their armor. I'll send someone to tell you, let's go to Zhiluo Town."
Just run wherever you go."
Liu Chengzong looked at Zhuanshanhu: "Can it be done?"
Zhuanshanhu was overjoyed when he heard this. He smiled and wanted to kowtow again, but was stopped by Liu Chengzong. Zhuanshanhu quickly said: "You must bring the general's words to the leader!"
When Zhuanshanhu went back to deliver the message, the seven sentry commanders gathered in the Chinese military tent. Some were willing to help, some were unwilling to help, and some were indifferent and only focused on the war. Everyone started talking in various directions. p>
Liu Chengzong sighed: "This is a good opportunity. Now the general troops of the two armies are about to join forces in Yansui. All the rebels in northern Shaanxi are in Shanxi. They are the barrier to resist the return of King Qin's army."
"There are only a few people left in northern Shaanxi. If we don't help Li Laojiao, when he is defeated, the Lion Battalion will have to deal with the two armies on its own. Who will help us then?"
Cao Yao nodded in agreement, but then sighed and said: "Zhiluo Town is too far away. I think the battlefield should be in Yanchuan. Let's go two hundred miles and let He Huchen go four hundred miles."
"I think so too, but the situation forces us to meet Li Laojiao. There is a large plateau in Yanzhou between Ziwu Ridge and Huanglong Mountain, which is the most dangerous for him."
Liu Chengzong said and explained: "Once He Huchen's troops spread out, even if there are only a thousand cavalry, Li Laojie can't stop them."
"Send the order to each post to prepare, Zhong Hu. Your middle post will stay in Yanchuan."
Zhong Hu had just stood up. He was stunned when he heard this, then sat down again and asked: "General, why do you want to stay in Yanchuan?"
"Waiting for work, be prepared to prevent Du Wenhuan from going south. There is only one road to the north of Yanchuan, but there are several roads to the south. Your people should be careful to look north. Once the Suide army goes south, immediately send people to Yichuan to report the news." p>
Zhong Hu nodded to express his understanding and asked, "Then should I block them?"
"You have to weigh this yourself. If you can block it, just let them wear armor. If you can't block it, it doesn't matter. Then retreat south, but you must remember to arrange some suspicious troops to march eastward to Shanxi." p>
This is what Liu Chengzong learned after fighting with Li Bei.
He didn't realize that at the time, but Fu Renxi's false report made Li Bei think he was in Shanxi, making him look worried.
But now with experience, we can artificially create this environment.
However, whether the enemy can be fooled and what the effects will be are beyond his control.
Speaking of this, Liu Chengzong suddenly raised his hand and said: "Remember to tell Fu Renxi not to let him transport gunpowder to the west yet."
Ever since Fu Renxi knew that he had sold gunpowder to Liu Chengzong, he simply started his own business and tried every means to collect gunpowder.
First, he sold him all the gunpowder stocks in Yonghe Pass, and then purchased gunpowder from the nearby military garrison, and also tried to buy it from the nearby saltpeter producing areas, raising the Yonghe Pass defenders until they were white and fat.
It's just that Liu Chengzong felt that although he was eating well by doing this, it might be contrary to Fu Renxi's own purpose. His people were living a good life now, but when it came time to go to war, they might not have much strong will to fight.<
/p>
Of course, if you are helping the Lion Battalion to attack others, then I guess the Yongheguan garrison is quite capable of doing so.
Maybe even Fu Renxi himself didn't realize that their fundamental interests had changed.
Leaving Zhong Hu to guard the back road, Liu Chengzong sent someone to inform Gao Yingxiang in Shanxi, and then went west to Qin Wang Zhuangzi to inform Zhang Tianlin and invite him to meet in Yanzhou.
Zhang Tianlin's troops are quite capable, and Liu Chengzong is willing to join forces with Zhang Tianlin.
As for whether Zhang Tianlin is willing to participate in the war, that is another matter.
Immediately, he led six outposts and more than 3,000 auxiliary troops to deploy along the official road, and the outposts passed through Yanchang County and marched towards Yichuan.
On the way, he kept estimating how many troops He Huchen would have and where the battle would be more advantageous.
If He Huchen's troops are less than three thousand, they are likely to have sufficient supplies, especially after arriving in Yanzhou, where the bandits are slightly weaker.
You can choose to drag them into Yan'an Prefecture. Unless He Huchen's troops loot, they will never get supplies in Yan'an Prefecture. Even if they loot, they won't be able to get much supplies.
But the disadvantage of the Yan'an Fucheng area is that Yanhe can provide him with thousands of people everywhere; and there is also the possibility of being outflanked by Du Wenhuan from the north.
And continuing to drag into Yichuan, the long mountain road in the middle of Huanglong Mountain will further delay and exhaust He Huchen's troops.
And more garrisoning is needed along the way.
On the evening of the next day, they arrived at Yunyan Town, and on the third day they approached Yichuan County. Liu Chengzong began to carefully explore the terrain and search for areas suitable as battlefields.
At the same time, Yang Yao, who dispatched an outpost, led his troops to rush westward, passed through Huanglong Mountain, and explored the situation on the other side of the mountain pass.
On the fourth day, the large force stayed at the east exit of Huanglong Mountain to build a camp and carry out repairs.
Soon, outpost Yang Yao sent someone back to report that Li Laoji's grain transport team had arrived in Yanzhou in a vehicle. The number of officers and soldiers hanging behind He Huchen had become more than 2,400, and this number was gradually increasing.
Increase.
Liu Chengzong was right. He Huchen was indeed gathering troops, and then he moved forward at an extremely slow speed.
"Send an order to the outpost and ask Commander Yang to hold off the enemy for a while, and then withdraw into Huanglong Mountain. The battlefield is here."
